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HERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.

Tyler’s Recommendation…Saucer State #1“Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly finally bring back the criminally under appreciated Saucer Country. I really enjoyed the first series, so it is with great excitement that I recommend everyone pick this up.”

Remember The Dying and The Dead? It has been a little while since the last installment of Hickman and Bodenheim’s equal parts action, adventure, mythic, heist comic. The first issue set the stage, introducing a man who will stop at nothing to save his wife even when it means making a deal with an immortal race. The second issue had a different feel to it as we were introduced to “the dying”, which was the old man’s gang of buddies he brought together to pull off one last job. Well, it has been some time but issue #3 was not only the best issue of the series but it also changed the tone of the book once again.

Issue #3 is all about the mythical side of the world. We get a closer look at the immortals and their role in this story. The book opens in 32,000 BC where a neanderthal is hunted down by a more evolved version of man, who appear to be the pets of an immortal. The story then quickly transitions to 1944 in Germany where the German, Russian and Japanese leaders discuss the history of the immortals. Through the discussion between these three leaders we are provided insight into the birth of mankind. The mythos which Hickman creates is fascinating. It is in this issue I realized Hickman is laying the groundwork for this to be a wonderfully rich world much like he has created in East of West. The cyclical nature of the mythology perhaps provides some foreshadowing of things to come. This issue not only provides much background into the world, but also a solid direction of where the story is headed.

Ryan Bodenheim is on point in this issue. With help from Michael Garland on colors he is able to draw focus where focus is needed, using only two or three colors per page. The four panel grid layout gives the story the cinematic feel it deserves. Bodenheim’s style provides the supernatural elements of the book a very realistic feeling. A perfect fit for this genre spanning book. Issue #3 of The Dying and The Dead is extremely enjoyable. This comic just keeps getting better. I hope Hickman and Bedenheim are able to put the time in to get it to us on a regular basis.